Salty Iguana

Posted Sunday, January 30, 2011, at 10:25 AM

Haven't been on any adventures to the tropics. Haven't been on an exotic trip to partake of the unique local foods like those guys on the travel/food channels. It isn't even a drink that I know of but may be one out there.

The Salty Iguana is a chain of Mexican restaurants in the Kansas City area. Yes, I know for the barbeque purists, KC is the barbeque mecca and it doesn't necessarily make one think of Mexican food.

However, our new favorite place is the Salty Iguana. We have been there a few times now and the service each time has been excellent. The chips are lightly salted, thin, crispy and warm. Each person gets their own salsa bowl. Admittedly, the margaritas almost rank up there with the ones at Red Lobster for me.

I like to try different dishes when we have dined there. However, I think my favorite so far is the Iggy Hot Pot. It is served in a small cast iron pot and is a spicy with a capital S. It has a rich broth with beef, chicken, shrimp and pork. There is side of tortillas and rice. Not being a spice aficionado, I could not even begin to tell you what spices are used but this is an awesome combination. It was one of those dishes that makes you sweat when you eat it. Their menus do very plainly outline what dishes are spicy and which ones aren't. There should not be any surprises if you read the menu.

I have also ordered the fajitas and this last time I had a the Iggy Burrito. The other family members have had the chicken enchiladas and the fish dishes. When we have asked for substitutions or to have something on the side, the wait staff said no problem. Not one of us has gone away hungry, in fact there is usually enough for leftovers.

The décor has colorful iguanas all over. There is decorations that appeal to the younger ones but adult enough for the grownups. The colors are vibrant blues, greens, pinks and yellows. For me, it is comfortable place and isn't stuffy.

The Overland Park location has booths for two and booths for much larger parties as well. Each time we have been there, the wait is minimal but we tend to avoid the busiest part of the dinner rush, so I can't comment on what are the busiest times. The wait staff has been pleasant and are very good about watching for drink, chips and salsa refills. They tend to do it seamlessly.

It is one of those restaurants that will be a destination for us when we go to the City since there are many more dishes to try.